


Flashlight

by summerprincess (notjustalittlegirl)



Series: Football Fridays/Soccer Saturdays [1]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, News Media, PREATH - Freeform, Stressed Christen, Supportive Tobin, Tobin is whipped honestly, they're always gonna be married in my stuff y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 21:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19912171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustalittlegirl/pseuds/summerprincess
Summary: The stress of being in the public eye gets to be too much for Christen. Tobin is, of course, there for her.





	Flashlight

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly this is just super short, and relatively unedited. I wrote it in about an hour, so I hope it's good/okay. 
> 
> Obviously, the normal disclaimers apply: I do not know these women or their relationship in real life, and if you know them, you should probably walk away now.
> 
> Yes, the title is definitely inspired by the Pitch Perfect song.

There was a lump under the covers. A large, Christen shaped lump, curled up into a fetal position, wrapped around what was clearly one of the missing pillows from the head of the bed. A Christen shaped lump under the covers wouldn't have been a problem, normally. Except for the fact that it was noon. And, as far as Tobin knew, Christen was not sick. 

Then why was she in bed? 

"Babe," asked Tobin. "You good?" 

Christen's reply was unintelligible, muffled by the pillow that she was buried in, as well as the checkered duvet separating her from Tobin. 

"Care to repeat that?" 

The covers shifted and Christen emerged from the cozy interior that Tobin couldn't believe she had been able to stand for even a second, given the oppressive heat of the summer. Her hair was loose and tangled- it definitely hadn't yet been brushed. Her eyes were red, and her eyelashes damp, and her cheeks had a prominent blush. 

So, she had been crying. This was, to put it mildly, rather concerning to Tobin. 

"I said, I can't do this."

Christen went to pull the covers back up over her head, to retreat back into her self-made cave, but before the pattern of the duvet could close over her messy hair, Tobin was there, pulling the sheets back and, kicking off her shoes, jumping in beside Christen. Her wife rolled away, trying to shove herself further into the pillow that she was already wrapped around. 

Tobin reached out a hand and rubbed it slowly up and down Christen's back as her wife broke into a fresh round of tears. Her wife's touch seemed to awake in Christen the realization that there was now another human being in the bed with her, that there was a shoulder to cry onto instead of one of the pillowcases, which would likely need to be replaced before the women went to bed tonight. 

Just as quickly as she had rolled away from Tobin, Christen rolled back over, burying her face into the shoulder of Tobin's tee shirt as her sobs redoubled. Tobin wrapped her arms tightly around her wife, one hand in the tangles of her hair and the other rubbing comforting circles between her shoulder blades. 

Tobin wasn't sure exactly for how long Christen cried- all that mattered was that Tobin was there, making soothing noises like she did for her nephews and niece whenever they cried. She ignored the dampness that had seeped through her shirt, and the fact that it was really rather unpleasantly warm underneath the covers with another body pressed against hers. 

Christen's tears never failed to break Tobin's heart- especially when there wasn't much she could do except what she was doing. 

Eventually, mercifully, Christen's tears tapered off, although she remained firmly buried in Tobin's shoulder, silent. 

Still running her fingers through Christen's hair, Tobin wasn't sure if she should speak, or wait for Christen to make the first move. But, the silence was almost scarier than the tears had been, especially since she didn't fully understand what the problem was. 

"Baby." Tobin spoke almost hesitantly, clutching Christen closer to her chest in case her girlfriend started crying again. "Sweet girl, what's wrong?" 

Christen pulled her tearstained face away from the fabric of Tobin's shirt, placing her head instead on her wife's chest and taking the offered hand into her own. 

"I just, I..." Christen's voice was shaky, and even if Tobin hadn't been there for her tears, she would have known that her wife had just been crying. 

"It's so _much._ I... I'm s-sorry, Tobs. I'm just over r-reacting." 

Tobin squeezed Christen's hand tightly. 

"Don't you apologize, baby. You're not. It's a lot, and it's been worse these past few days." 

Christen nodded. There was always a lot of media coverage following a World Cup, but there had undoubtedly been more of it this year, and it had lasted longer. And, as much as Tobin loved that attention was being drawn to women's soccer, finally, she had to admit that it did get tiring. 

"Y-Yeah, I just... Just want a little time with you. But, n-no. There's always m-more." 

Tobin's heart clenched with love for her wife, and she turned their bodies so that Christen was once again curled up against her chest.

"I know, princess. But, you have me now. And I've got you, always." 

That got a smile out of Christen, who stretched up to press a kiss to the side of Tobin's mouth. 

"Thanks, Tobs. I love you." 

"I love you too, Chris. More than anything in the whole world."

They lay there together until the barking of one of the dogs snapped them out of their cuddle. Christen hopped out of bed, kissing Tobin one more time. 

"Babe, would you go take care of that?I _really_ need a shower." 

Tobin nodded, but turned back towards her wife before making her way downstairs. 

"You know what, baby? Once you get out of the shower, meet me downstairs. We're going to have a night in. Pizza and movies, and then I plan on pounding you into the mattress while you scream my name." 

She blew her wife a kiss as Christen went to wash off the bad morning. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! 
> 
> This is the first work in a new series of unconnected stuff that I got inspired to write after watching the first NWSL games since the Americans rejoined their club teams. Don't let the series title foot you... I will almost certainly never post on only Fridays and Saturdays.


End file.
